The STAR team achieved another milestone on October 5, 2009 with the release of STAR v0.4.5. This release represents a fair-sized production release of the STAR application with enhanced functionality for use by the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Mission Operations Directorate (MOD) community.

STAR v0.4.5 represents several improvements from the previous STAR 0.4 release. It also establishes several significant building blocks for success of the upcoming STAR 0.5 release scheduled for next month. Interim functionality provided in STAR 0.4.5 includes several key improvements in the STAR Scheduling module, namely, various integrated simulation enhancements, flight-specific simulation planning for Simulation Supervisors and Station Training Leads, one-way synchronization between STAR and Manning Roster/Flight Controller Tool (FCT), providing a ‘Dual’ event category type, and the ability to view flight controller and instructor group schedules for integrated simulations. As part of this software release, the team also migrated the STAR production application and database to new hardware, which should greatly enhance the application’s performance when larger numbers of users are anticipated starting with STAR 0.5.

From an accessibility perspective, several steps were also taken to allow for STAR accessibility worldwide. STAR is now accessible (like NASA webmail) from a web browser (IE7 primarily supported, with limited functionality for Firefox) with NASA Active Directory (AD) authentication. Permissions to the application are managed via AD and granted based on various roles.

BACKGROUND: STAR is NASA’s next-generation training management system for crew, instructors, and flight controllers. It will replace the existing Training Administration Management System (TAMS), Flight Operations Curriculum Administration System (FOCAS), and a host of approximately 100 disparate tools with an enterprise system that provides integrated curriculum development and documentation, customized training plans, scheduling of personnel and facilities, training event feedback, and other training resources. All modules are being designed for maximum efficiency and interoperability. In an iterative process, event feedback will be used to help optimize the training plans.

NASA PROGRAM FUNDING: The STAR project is an MOD-funded effort to develop the next-generation training management system for MOD for training of Astronauts, Flight Controllers, and Instructors. It is funded for FY10 by the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) and Constellation Program (CxP) through an Intercenter Task Agreement (ITA) between JSC/MOD and ARC-TI.